Through The Haze
by McGeekle
Summary: Through the dust and smoke, Team Gibbs finds their way back to one another. Tag to Till Death Do Us Part.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alrighty, folks. This is my post Till Death Do Us Part fic. Not much to say about it except that I hope you enjoy it. :) **

* * *

The first thing Tony thought about when he came into consciousness was the pain. The incessant pounding in his head that he was fairly certain would refuse to cease for weeks. Next was the throbbing of his left wrist, which he was certain was broken. The air was heavy, thick with years of dust and crumbling walls. Each breath was a challenge, his scarred lungs struggled to breathe through the crap that he was certain would give him pneumonia.

"_Hmm, concussion and a broken wrist." _ He took a sharp breath in and winced. "_Maybe some broken ribs, too. Could be worse."_

He could feel the stiffness of dried blood on his forehead, the tightness that comes with a healing wound. He didn't dare touch it to check for size. He didn't want to shift the debris yet if he didn't have to.

After the shock of injury wore off, he registered the warmth pressed against his body. _Ziva._

He knew she was alive. He could feel the light movement of her chest, her breath on their entwined fingers. She would still be unconscious. She fell right on top of him, and all of the crap the ceiling was made of on top of her. There had to be some stuff crushing her. There was no way in hell she was this heavy.

"Ziva." he said, trying to rouse her.

"Ziva." he said, louder. Still she gave no response. "Ziva!" he tried one last time. Nothing.

He wanted to shake her, or touch her face, or anything that would force her to wake up, but he didn't know what fell on her, he didn't know if he could injure her more by moving her.

He sighed. If there were one thing Anthony DiNozzo hated being more than any other, it was helpless. There was nothing he could do until she woke up.

For now he just had to wait it out. She was still breathing, and that was good enough for now.

* * *

Downstairs in the lab, Gibbs woke to immense pain. His entire body felt like it was on fire. Stabbing pains in his back, his shoulder and head throbbed, his ribs causing shooting pain every time he took a breath. He groaned as he attempted to find the source that was jostling his body back and forth. _Abby_ he thought.

"Gibbs. Gibbs. Please wake up. I know you're in there. Gibbs, Gibbs." He could hear Abby talking frantically through obvious tears trying to rouse him.

"Abs."

"Gibbs! Oh thank god. I woke up and I thought you were dead and I didn't know what to do and I."

"Abs, just stop shaking me."

"Oh, god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I just thought it was the best way to wake you up because we really need to get out of here, and I didn't want to just pull you along because there's some glass in your jacket and I didn't want to cut you."

"It's okay." He noticed that she was covered almost head to toe in red. "Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" He sat up, alarmed.

"Oh, most of this is Caf-Pow. I'm not bad. Just some bumps and bruises."

He nodded, sighing in relief. It was then that Gibbs felt the oppressive heat in the room.

"Abs, is your lab on fire?" he coughed out

"Just a little bit. The ceiling tiles are supposed to be fire retardant, but even they're not explosion proof."

"Okay. I want you to stay as low to the ground as you can and head towards the door."

"No, I'm not leaving you here, Gibbs."

"You're not leaving me, just giving me a second to get up."

"Do you need help?"

"No, no I do not."

"Are you sure? Because it kinds of looks like your shoulder is dislocated from here."

"I know that. I just need a minute."

"To what?"

"To figure out a way to get us out of here."

"You...you don't already have a plan?"

"Not a good one."

"But, you're Gibbs. You always have a plan. You follow your gut and keep us out of trouble and always get your man. You can't not have a plan."

"I will, but Abbs what I need you to do right now is grab Bert and head for the door. We'll figure it out when we're away from the smoke."

"Okay. But if you're not out in two minutes, I'm coming back in after you."

He nodded. He watched as she crawled her way out the lab door, trying to avoid getting sliced by the copious amount glass all over the floor. He shook his head, ignoring the nausea that tried to overwhelm him with each movement. There was a chance they wouldn't make it out of this one. He just hoped the rest of the team made it out okay.

* * *

When McGee woke, there was only pain. Pain in his head, pain in his ribs, his neck, his chest. Pain in his whole body. His head felt like it was splitting open straight up the back. There was an overwhelming heaviness throughout his body. Even to shift his arm or turn his head felt like he were lifting a boulder. He tried to sit up, to open his eyes and try to figure a way out. As soon as peeked his eyes open to the light and the heat of the day, he turned to the side, vomited violently and passed out once again.

* * *

Crushing, dizzying pain is all Ducky felt. Radiating straight from his heart, the paralyzing pain sent him falling to the ground. Sixteen dead thus far, and no sign of team Gibbs. The pain seized him in a way he had not thought possible. The overwhelming heartbreak he felt was incomparable to any he had experienced before. His family was likely dead, and he could not save them.

The cool ocean water rushed around him, keeping him as awake as he could be. He tried to move, to get his face away from the water, but to no avail. All he could do was breathe and wait. Wait for death, or for some merciful soul to happen upon him.

The world was growing fuzzy. Noise was muffled, his vision hazy, the edges growing black more quickly than he would like. He spotted a young woman jogging up the beach, speeding up once she saw him in the sand. He could faintly hear her footsteps growing closer and closer before he lost his battle of wills and the darkness took him under.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this story! I was so surprised be the overwhelming response. I hope you enjoy the next installment!**

* * *

It was long after the building ceased to shudder that Ziva regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open as she came around, opening to complete darkness. She squeezed her eyes shut quickly when she realized the predicament she was in. She paused for a moment to get her bearings. She could feel the beat of her heart, the breath moving in and out of her lungs. She was alive. She let out a small sigh of relief before forcing her eyes open to the blackness that surrounded her. Whether the pitch black was due to the security lights being out or the debris piled upon her she couldn't be sure. The air was thick with dust and dirt. She coughed harshly and winced at the pain in her ribs that had quickly come to the forefront.

Her only comfort was Tony. Their hands were intertwined and his breath was warm on her neck. It was slow, labored, but definitely there. He was alive, too. Another sigh of relief escaped her.

"Tony," she whispered, almost afraid to disturb the silence that had fallen upon them.

"Tony." she said louder. She shook their hands.

"Ziva." he groaned. "You're awake."

"Yes. As are you."

"I must have fallen asleep. I woke up and you were still out." he said, blinking several times to wake himself up.

"And you fell asleep waiting for me to wake up? How is that even possible/"

'Well I think I have a concussion, so that might have something to do with it."

"If you have a concussion you should not be sleeping."

"Well if my sleeping beauty didn't take so long to wake up, I wouldn't have fallen asleep."

"I was not asleep, I was unconscious." She sniped.

"Felt the same to me." Strange as it was to be arguing with her in a situation like theirs, he felt comforted as he snipped right back. It was normal. They could still be normal, even if they were trapped in an elevator in a building that had just been blown up.

"I am awake now." She said, last hints of snark fading from her voice. " Are you injured?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah. Besides the concussion I think my wrist is broken, maybe a couple ribs. You?"

"I have been in worse pain."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"My head is...pulsing?" she said, not entirely sure of her wording.

"Throbbing." he corrected. Normalcy. He would revel in it while he could.

"Throbbing. Bruised ribs are likely, and my left leg hurts a good deal."

"Alright, well we have to check out your leg, we're gonna have to move some of this debris. You good to do that?"

"I suppose I will have to be. I do not know how much I can move. There is something pinning my leg down."

"Okay, how about I try to get out from under you and clear what I can and we'll go from there."

"Okay."

"You ready?"

"Just do it, Tony."

"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that."

"_Tony_,"she said sharply.

"Ninjas in pain are no fun"

"No, I am not. Just find out what's crushing me and move it, please."

'Okay."

Tony carefully slid out from under Ziva, trying his best not to jostle her too much. He left her resting her head on her arms face down on the floor. His lack of warmth created a tightness in her chest she refused to acknowledge. She would not admit how much she missed the loss of contact. Keeping his broken wrist tucked close to him, Tony brushed away pieces of ceiling tile and plastic from the lights. Most of it was fairly light, save for the shell of the light fixture which he figured broke his wrist.

"Looking good so far." he said.

As he moved further down Ziva's body he exercised more caution, until he got to her calf.

"Oh shit."

* * *

Gibbs slammed the door behind him as he exited the lab. He sighed in relief to be away from the heat and fire. One obstacle down, at least. He turned to Abby, who was clearly distraught now that she had a moment to realize the gravity of the situation. She had tears forming in her eyes, her bottom lip was trembling with the strain of trying to keep the tears at bay.

"My babies, Gibbs. My babies are gone."

"I'm sorry, Abs. I wish I could tell you they'd be okay, but after they put out the fire..."

"They'll short circuit and I'll need to get new babies."

"Yeah."

She nodded solemnly, hugging Bert. The little fart did make her smile a little. Gibbs swung his good arm around her shoulders giving her a little side hug. She hissed slightly in pain despite her efforts to cover it up. Gibbs spun her around and discovered that she had a huge gash on her shoulder blade.

"I thought you said it was just a few cuts and bruises." he said, irritated.

"Technically that is a cut."

"Abby!"

"What? It is!"

"That's a gash."

"Semantics. Plus the blood has already clotted. It will be okay if I don't rip it open. It doesn't feel too deep."

"And if you do rip it open?

"Then I just bleed for a while. It's not like it hit my carotid or something."

"Fine. We have to figure a way out of here," he said, conceding to her argument. "I say we cut through evidence lock up and out the receiving doors."

"Do you think that's the easiest way?"

"Nope, easiest way is out the front, but we can't do that."

"Because it's probably on fire."

"Yup."

'Okay. Evidence lock up it is."

"Drawback is that we can't get there from here. Have to go down and around the building."

"Well it's still better than walking towards the explosion."

"Alright, let's go then." They started to move carefully down the hall to the stairwell when Gibbs gently grabbed Abby's arm, halting them in their tracks.

"Abbs, you need to know that there may be dead people out there. People we know. You just have to keep moving," he said as gently as he could.

"But..but what if they're not dead? Are we supposed to just leave them?

"Of course not. But if we check them and they are..."

"I have to keep moving."

"Yeah. There will be time to fall apart later. Right now we have to get you out of here."

"Okay." she said, nodding.

"But what if we find injured people who are alive?"  
"We'll deal with that when we get there."

She nodded, hoping that they wouldn't have to deal with anything at all. She hoped they were the only ones left in the building and that everyone made it out safe and sound. At least that's what she'd tell herself as they made their way through the building.

They set off towards the stairwell, tripping nearly constantly on pieces of lights, ceiling and drywall that had been shaken loose in the explosion. They were mostly silent, save for the fairly frequent exclamations of "shit", "ow", "goddamnit" followed by quiet, concerned mutterings of "are you okay?"

As they reached the stairwell they paused. It wasn't as dark as they'd anticipated. Not all the safety lights had been knocked out, but there were far too few for Gibbs' liking. Abby broke their silence.

"Is this seriously the one time you don't have a flashlight or something?"

"Guess so."

"But you're like a boyscout. Always prepared. Always anticipating the dirtbag's next move."

"Yeah, well the dark is not dirtbag I normally face."

"We still have to go down there though."

"Yep. I'll protect you, Abs. That I'm always prepared for."

"I know." she said. There was a slight pause before she asked "Can we hold hands?"

He smiled. Even in a disaster, she was still Abby. "Yeah." he said. Abby tucked Bert under her arm and reached her hand out for Gibbs'. He took her hand in his and started down the stairs.

It was easier than they'd anticipated. The stairs were further away from the blast epicenter than the lab. . Abby grasped the handrail tightly as they moved through the semi-darkness. They moved slowly, cautiously, but with an overt sense of purpose. The quicker they got out, the quicker they'd be reunited with Tim, Tony and Ziva. She steeled her nerves as they were overcome with a sense of dread. Her gut may not be as good as Gibbs', but she knew when something was hinky.

When they reached the door, Gibbs first felt relieved. There were no bodies in the stairwell. No one was looking for help or disoriented or lost. It was the best outcome he could think of in a situation like theirs, no matter how short lived he knew his solace would be.

Gibbs braced himself as he grasped the door handle. He fully expected it to be locked. He gave the handle a firm twist and tug, but nothing. He sighed agitatedly.

"Abs, I need you to go stand behind the stairs," he said, moving for his gun.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to shoot it."

"But the bullet could ricochet."

"Yep. So I need you to go stand behind the stairs."

"But what if you get hit?" she asked.

"Abby," he barked in a don't mess with me tone. She gave him sad eyes as she walked into the empty space behind the stairs.

After making sure she was in place, Gibbs shot the lock three times before it dislodged.

"Alright, c'mon." he said, waving her to him.

As they opened the door, they were bathed in light. The techs had left the receiving doors open as they left. They moved quickly as they made their way out of the building and into the chaos of the aftermath.

* * *

There was no pain, no heat, no screams, just darkness. It was as if his entire body was being weighed down, like when his brain wakes, but his body is still asleep. The mind is alert, but body unwilling to cooperate. He felt trapped. Like he was falling but there was nowhere to go. There was nothing to hear, nothing to see. All he could do was wait.

* * *

His body was tense. He felt his chest being compressed, the EMT counting with each forceful blow. The pain spread through his chest, his ribs bending as much as they could without breaking.

He could hear a familiar voice frantically calling in the distance.

"Doctor Mallard? Doctor Mallard, oh my god, what happened?" It was muddled, faint.

They forced air into his lungs, his own refusing to move on their own. His stubborn heart refused to beat while it was still seized with heartache and pain. Another breath forced into his unwilling body. Another jab of pain.

Panic.

Blackness.

Flatline.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all so much once again for reading. I'm so surprised and excited that you're all enjoying it so much!**

* * *

"Oh shit. " _shit shit shit shit_

"What?"

He wasn't even sure what it was, this piece of something crushing her. What he did know was that he could feel a pool of her blood on the floor of the elevator.

"I hate to break it to you, but you might be stuck there for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this thing that's crushing you sliced into your leg."

"Well what is it? What can you see?"

"I can't see anything! If you hadn't noticed, we're in the dark!"

"You know that is not what I meant. How bad is it?"

"I don't know. All I know is that it's large and there's a pool of blood on the floor."

"Can you move it?"

"I...I don't know if we should."

"Is it really that bad? You think if we move it I will bleed out?" She asked, voice shaking ever so slightly.

"I'm not willing to take the chance. You're still bleeding, and we don't know how long we'll be stuck in here."

"So we do nothing?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do at this point. We could move it so you could move but you could bleed out."

"Not if we can make a tourniquet."

"I'm not going to do that. If we cut the blood flow off for too long you could lose your leg."

"I might lose it now. At least if I am able to get up we may be able to find a way out of here."

"OR you could just stay put because if you're still bleeding it means you still have at least some blood flow to your leg."

"Tony, we have to find a way out. I cannot do that if I cannot move."

"There may be nothing we can do. We're probably trapped between floors, and forget climbing out because if this thing is a piece of the elevator we're not going to have anything to hold on to."

"So we just wait to be rescued?"

Tony sighed loudly "Looks like it."

"I am not very good at that."

"Neither am I."

They sat quietly trying to think of any better solution than sitting on the floor of the elevator and doing nothing. Their resounding silence a few moments later wasn't reassuring for either of them. Tony, still crouching in the debris was the first to speak again.

"Well we might as well get comfortable."

"How could we possibly be comfortable in this situation. We cannot even tell what is around us, I cannot move...what do you expect us to do?"

"Well I was thinking I would just sit up near your head. I think that's the only place I'll have room."

"Fine."

"Well don't sound too enthused. I was just thinking it would be better for us if we could you know, talk without straining ourselves."

"Talk?"

"Yeah, if that's okay with you," he said gently sitting down beside her, settling himself in with his back resting on the wall.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I dunno...I just thought it would make the wait a little more bearable."

"Well as long as I do not have to listen to the summary of every movie this reminds you of..."

"No, I wouldn't do that to you."

They paused for a moment, wondering if they wanted to breach serious topics so early in their captivity.

Tony spoke up first. "Have you ever played 20 questions?"

* * *

Gibbs and Abby walked carefully out into what had become the emergency medical ward. Immediately Abby was ushered away by EMT's who just as Gibbs not long before, believed she was covered nearly head to toe in blood. Another young male medic rushed up to Gibbs.

"Sir, are you hurt?"

"I was just in an explosion." he said as they made their way towards an ambulance.

"I'm sorry, sir. Where are your injuries?" he asked as Gibbs sat on the floor of the bus.

'Well, concussion." Before the whole word was out of his mouth, the medic was flashing a tiny flashlight in front of his eyes. Gibbs batted him away with his good hand.

"I need you to relocate my shoulder."

"Sir, I'm going to need to take you to the hospital for that."

"No, you do not. Just shove it back in."

'You don't understand, protocol is that I take you to the hospital."

"Does it look like anything happening here is by the book? My people are still in that building, and I need to find them, so _please_ relocate my shoulder."

"I'll need to give you a pain killer."

"Nope. Just do it."

"Sir, I strongly discourage..."

"I've done this before. In Desert Storm. I know what I'm getting myself into. Just do it."

The young EMT nodded, clearly not expecting so much resistance from an accident victim.

Just as the EMT was getting ready, "Hold on just one second." Gibbs' head lolled back in frustration. He knew that voice. _Vance,_ he thought.

"Give us a minute," he said to the EMT. He nodded and left to tend to other patients. "Go to the hospital, Gibbs."

"Leon, you know damn well I'm not going to do that."

"We don't even know the extent of the damage. We don't know if there's even anyone left inside."

"If Abby and I were in there, there's a damn good chance other people are trapped in there. And where is the rest of my team?"

"No one's seen them yet." Gibbs gave him a glare that screamed "You've got to be kidding me." He motioned to get up.

"You can't go back in after them." Vance said, firmly.

"If I don't, who is?" Gibbs asked, his voice rising with every syllable.

"The emergency crews. The bomb squad has to clear the building before anyone is allowed in."

"There are people in there whether they are allowed to be or not. The least I can do is go in and make sure my team is safe."

"Gibbs, you have to look at this objectively, there could be another bomb."

"There isn't."

"You don't know that."

"He's already made his point! He's already blown up the people he feels are responsible for his son's death. That's it. If he's going to attack again, it's not going to be now."

"I can't risk anyone else going in there and"

"What? Dying? Guess what, there are people dead inside, and there could be more if I don't go in there and find them. "

"Fine. But know that if you get yourself in a bind, I'm not coming in after you. I wouldn't take a bullet for you either, Jethro."

Gibbs nodded solemnly. Vance waved the EMT back over, who instructed him to lie down. Gibbs lay down on the floor of the ambulance as the EMT rotated his arm up and out to get the joint back in place. Gibbs felt a pop and instantaneous relief. The EMT motioned to a sling.

"Nope." Gibbs said. The EMT relented easily this time around.

"I'm just going to need you to sign a form saying that you freely acted against medical advise."

Gibbs nodded and signed the form quickly. He headed back towards the building when he ran into Abby.

"Gibbs!" They said that they want to bring me to the hospital to get my stitches."

"Okay, so go get yourself stitched up."

"Well what about you?

"What about me?"

"What are you going to do?" She asked

"I'm gonna go back in and find the rest of my team."

"You can't! It's too dangerous!"

"Abby, you know as well as I do that the emergency teams won't be allowed in the building until the bomb squad clears it. We don't know how much longer that's going to be."

"Well then I'm coming with you."

"No. I need you to stay here."

"I want to help you find them!"

"You really want to help?"

"Of course, they're my family."

"Then I need you to stay here. It'll be easier for me in there if I know you're safe out here."

"But what if you need help?"

"Then I'll figure it out."

"Gibbs"

"They put my shoulder back in place. I'll be fine."

She stared right at him, tears quickly forming in her eyes.

He gently cupped her face with his hand. "I'll get them out, Abs. I promise."

With that she threw herself at him in what could possibly be the tightest hug he'd ever experienced. He cringed inwardly as she ripped open a couple of the wounds on his back, but hugged her right back. "I promise." he whispered.

It took a few moments of reassurance for Abby to let go. She pulled away slowly, tears forming in her eyes again.

"I'll get em back, Abs." She only nodded in reply. She turned away and made her way back to the EMT who was waiting to take her away from the scene. Gibbs turned away and set off towards the receiving entrance.

"Gibbs!" he heard somewhere behind him. He turned back to the chaos only to see Fornell emerging from the crowd.

"Tobias?" Gibbs said moving to meet Fornell in the middle.

"Heard the explosion from the Pentagon. You guys are all over ZNN." he said as he came to a stop in front of Gibbs.

"I didn't think they were letting anyone near the yard."

"Turns out my badge gets me further than yours does." Gibbs chuckled contemptuously in response.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Came to help facilitate the search for survivors. Looks like your comm units are down."

"They clear the building?"

"No, bomb squad is still all over it."

"Damn"

"How'd your team make out?"

"Duck and Palmer are in Florida, Abby and I were trapped inside during the explosion, just made it out, the other three are still inside somewhere."

"And you're going on a vigilante mission to find them?"

"When you say it like that it sounds bad."

"It is bad."

"Still not gonna stop me from doing it."

"I know. At least let me hook you up with a radio. Let us know every time you find someone. It'll help us get the crews in faster."

"Yeah."

Fornell pulled out a fairly large radio.

"What, no earwig?"

"Nah. We can't be giving out our best stuff to an agency that just got themselves blown up."

Gibbs shot him an irritated look.

"Hey, Director's words, not mine."

Gibbs saluted Fornell with the radio and disappeared into the building. First stop: the bullpen.

* * *

McGee was frustrated. There was nothing but blackness around him, nothing but heaviness and fatigue. There was nothing he could do. He didn't know where he was, or why he was in such a state. He wanted to move. He wanted to see or smell or _breathe._ He just wanted there to be something, anything to indicate what the hell was going on, or to tell him whether or not he was even still alive.

But there was nothing.

* * *

_Charging..._

_CLEAR_

His entire body was tense. His vertebrae ground together as he arched up towards the one thing giving him life. He collapsed on the table with a powerful _thunk. _

"_No response. Go again." _

_Charging..._

_CLEAR_

His body shook with tension as the electricity made its way through his nerves and muscles and nearly cracked his bones. The shock released him and he dropped once again.

"_Still nothing. One more." _

_Charging..._

_CLEAR_

Once more his body arced painfully off the table, the shocks jolting his entire being to attention.

Beep...beep...beep

The breath rushed back into his lungs, the color back to his cheeks, the pain of violent medical intervention into his mind, and the full weight of misery and despair back into his heart.

They pressed an oxygen mask to his face, sighing in relief. He was alive.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! I would make an excuse, but they all sound lame. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I am so glad you're enjoying the story. **

* * *

"20 questions?"

"Yeah. It's like truth or dare, but with just the truth. I ask you questions and you answer them. Then you can either ask me the same question or make up a new one. Once we hit 20 we're done."

"Oh, alright. If there's nothing else to do."

"Oh, and you get one pass. If there's a question you really don't want to answer, you can pass."

She nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, I'll start. What's your favorite color?"

"My favorite color?" she asked in disbelief. She thought the questions would be more interesting than _that_.

"Yeah. Of all the things I know about you, I don't know your favorite color."

"Oh. It's green."

"Like lime green or..."

"No. Do you know what color the leaves are right after the rain? That color green."

He doesn't ask why. That he can figure out on his own. They're bright, vibrant, the very essence of being alive. He knows she cherishes the smell of the rain, too.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Scarlet and gray."

"Tony, not everything can be about your Ohio State Buckeyes."

"Not everything. Just my favorite color and my selection in sports teams."

Ziva rolled her eyes.

"What's your favorite food?"

"I do not know the name, but it is a spicy pasta dish that Monique introduced me to. What is your favorite food?"

"I think my Nonna's homemade tiramisu is my favorite. She used to make it for me all the time."

"That is nice."

"You expected it to be pizza, didn't you?"

"No, I did not, but I was not expecting it to be something so sentimental."

"It's good to know I can still surprise you. Alright, current favorite song."

"Pass."

"Seriously, that's what you're going to use your pass on?"

"Yes."

"That's unacceptable. I refuse your pass."

"That is not allowed."

"How do you know?"

"You said I could use my pass on any question, yes? I choose to use it on this one."

"Nope. Come on, it can't be that bad. Whatever song you pick, I won't judge you." He gasped, "It's not Call Me Maybe, is it?"

"No. It is Stronger, by Kelly Clarkson."

"See, now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No. Now what is your favorite song?"

"It will always be "Fly Me To The Moon" by Frank Sinatra.

"You're just saying that because you like Call Me Maybe."

"I do not."

"Ha. I heard you humming it at your desk."

"It's just so catchy."

"I will remember that for future reference, but it is your turn to ask another question."

"Hmmm...How about...first kiss?"

"My first kiss was with a boy named Jacob. I do not recall his last name, but we were twelve. I punched him immediately afterward because he did not ask my permission first."

"Geez, poor Schmuel Rubenstein for saying he liked you and your first kiss? When did you stop punching your dates?"

"When I was fifteen. Now who was your first kiss?"

"Oh come on, Zi. It's not fun if you just ask me all the questions I ask you."

"You told me I could. You said I could ask the same question OR make up a new one. I happen to like your questions."

"But it's so much more fun if you ask me other stuff."

"You cannot take it back now. You already made it a rule."

"Oh yeah and we've always been big sticklers for rules, obviously."

"Just answer the question."

"Which was..."

"First kiss."

"Oh. Her name was Jamie Henner. I was fourteen."

"Fourteen?"

"Yes, alright. I wasn't exactly great with the ladies until I started playing football in high school."

"I did not criticize, Tony, I was merely wondering if I heard you correctly."

"Sure."

"Your turn again," she said smirking.

"What's the story behind the tattoo?"

She smiled inwardly. She knew it would come up eventually. It had been several years since he'd seen the tattoo on the inside of her thigh, and though he had only brought it up once before this, she knew he hadn't forgotten. It was an owl in only black ink perched on an elegantly crafted 'T'.

"It is for Tali. She loved owls. She had a fascination with them. We had a family of them living in a big tree in our back yard as children, and she would climb up inside it to find them. She broke her arm falling out of it when she was twelve. As we grew older and I began my Mossad training, she would always tell me that I reminded her of her owls. 'Swift, silently moving in the night to capture her prey, and wise beyond her years. Beauty that radiates while perched watching the world go by, but deadly accuracy and even deadlier talons hidden away, only shown when the time is right'. I will never forget the night she told me that." She sat quietly for a moment, engrossed in memories of her sister. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What's the story behind your tattoo?"

"I thought we'd been over the you asking me different questions thing."

"I really want to know the answer to this one."

He sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of this one. "How do you even know about it?"

"I saw it briefly one day when you were changing."

"Why were you watching me change?"

"You were doing it at your desk. I didn't really have a choice in the matter."

"You always have a choice. Just admit it, you wanted primo seats for the DiNozzo gun show."

"You are avoiding the question."

"As are you."

"I asked first. What's the story?"

"Ninja."

"You have not called me that in some time."

"That's what it is. On my right bicep. It says ninja in hebrew. I got it when you were gone that summer."

"Oh, Tony."

"I just wanted something to remember you by, as though I could ever forget."

"I was not aware my absence affected you that much."

"I thought the showing up in the desert to avenge your death kind of spoke for itself."

"Do not joke about that, Tony."

"I'm not joking. I thought that me showing up to kill the guy I thought killed you would tell you how much I care about you."

"It did."

"Good. Mission accomplished then."

They sat in silence for a moment before Tony decided to break the tension with another question.

"What is your least favorite place you've been out of all the places you've visited?"

She has to contemplate this for a moment. Of _all_ the places, she knew instantaneously which was her least favorite, but refused breech that conversation again in the elevator. She decided on an appropriate answer a moment later. "Russia. It is too cold in Russia."

"And your favorite?"

"At one time I would have said the United States, back when I had first met all of you, but thought that I could be recalled at any moment. Now that it is home, it would feel strange declaring it my favorite visit. I think Paris would be my favorite place, then. There is something so lovely about Paris each time I visit."

"Ziva, do you regret what happened in Paris?"

* * *

Gibbs moved quickly and easily back into the building, taking the same route back up as he had to go down with Abby. There were no agents in his path on the way back up, though he suspected that would change as he neared the front of the building and the ground floor. As he approached the second stairwell that would take him to the bullpen, he steeled his nerves. There would be people in there that he knew, and his team could be amongst them. He shook his head gently, willing the thoughts of his injured children from his mind. He made his way up the stairs, making it nearly to the top platform before finding his first injured agent. The agent was just coming around.

"Vandalay, you alright?" Gibbs asked, crouching down to check for injuries. He had a visible gash that was still dripping blood on the right side of his forehead that he hoped was not as bad as it looked.

"Gibbs. Yeah, I got thrown into the railing when the explosion...I'm assuming it was an explosion..."

"Yeah, it was. You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah. Have they cleared the building?"

"I dunno. Hopefully they will soon if they haven't already. Can you walk, or do you want me to call in the crew to get you when the building's clear?"

"I'm gonna try to get out of here myself."

"Easiest way is down to evidence lock up and out the receiving doors."

"Noted."

"Alright, FBI's outside setting up comm checks, make sure you check in with them and get yourself checked out."

"I will. Be careful in there, Gibbs."

"You too."

As Agent Vandalay hobbled away, he made a quick call to Fornell.

"Got an agent coming out named William Vandalay. Slight head injury. If he doesn't show up in ten, send someone in to get him. Headed down the north stairs."

He received a crackled "Copy," from the radio before continuing into the bullpen. As soon as he stepped into the room, the safe orange walls that normally greeted him were anything but. The entire room smelled like fire, C4 and death. The windows were completely shattered, and the ceiling scorched. The paint was peeling off the walls from the heat, the remaining fading to brown and black. It was destroyed. His true home for the past fifteen years was destroyed. He wished there was time for the shock to truly sink in, but there was no time to waste on grief.

As he stepped out of the stairwell, he heard glass crunch beneath his feet. Instantly he saw two agents down, one slumped against the divider next to Ziva's desk, another laying face down next to Tony's desk. He sighed, knowing that this is just the beginning of what he could find. He approached the first victim, pressing his fingers gently against his carotid, looking for a pulse. He found none. He wasn't sure if he really expected one. The blast had hit him hard, if the shards of glass puncturing his body weren't enough, the head injury certainly would be. He moved to the second agent and did the same. Nothing. He sighed.

He moved to check in his squadroom, and froze. He knew before he moved the backpack from his face that it was McGee. He had been blown back by the blast, glass littering his pants and jacket, his limbs splayed like a rag doll. He rushed to McGee's side, moving the backpack from his face and checking his pulse. It was faint, but present. He had several lacerations on his face and neck. None bleeding profusely, but leaking slightly.

"Damnit, McGee." he said, pulling out his radio. "I need a med evac team up to the squadroom, now."

"Bomb squad hasn't cleared us for entry"

"I don't give a damn what the bomb squad says. I've got an unconscious agent in immediate need of medical attention. I need a bus NOW."

"Agent's name?"

"Timothy McGee. He's got a head injury, and he needs to get out of here now. I don't care what it takes, send me someone."

"EMT's are on their way."

"Third floor." he said for good measure.

"Copy, third floor."

_Hang on, McGee. I'll get you out of here._

* * *

McGee was being jostled, he was sure of it. _Someone was touching him_ he realized, alarmed. At least if they were touching him, they knew he was there. The movement stopped, but he could hear a faint voice.

"You do not have permission to die, you got that, Tim? You will not die."

_On it, Boss._

* * *

When Ducky woke again, he was groggy but quite aware of his situation. He lay in an itchy hospital gown in a too-hard hospital bed with a nasal cannula and an IV. He opened his eyes to a blurry world, his glasses no longer sitting on his face.

"Doctor Mallard. Welcome back. I was so worried." Jimmy moved to put Ducky's glasses back on, provide some clarity to the world he had been so recently deprived of.

"Mr. Palmer. What are you doing here?" he croaked out.

"I was coming to get you for our return flight when I saw the ambulance. I followed them here."

"Thank you, my boy."

"You do what you have to for family."

"Are you aware of my medical status."

"I do...and if anyone asks I'm your grandson. You had a heart attack. Specifically a myocardial infarction. The doctors were waiting for you to stabilize before they took you in for tests to determine the extent of the blockage."

"How long will that take?" Ducky asked.

Jimmy looked slightly taken aback "I'm not sure, doctor, but of course I will be here every step of the way. I won't leave you until you're discharged."

"Yes, you will."

"What? No, I won't. Doctor you've been through a serious event. It's the least I can do to stay and help you through your recovery."

"I did not mean to imply that you will not be true to your word, Mr. Palmer. If it were possible for you to stay by me, I am certain you would."

"What do you mean, if it were possible?"

"Jimmy, something has happened."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Let's talk about how much I suck for a second. It's been 3 weeks you guys, and I am so sorry. I don't even have a good excuse. I mean, I have plenty of excuses about being a grown up getting in the way of my writing time, but not one of them is a good excuse. I'm sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I promise you won't have to wait as long for the next one.**

* * *

He felt her freeze and they fell into silence.

He had never felt her shut down so quickly. He cursed himself for bringing it up so unceremoniously, but if they were going to die in this elevator, the least he could do was cross off #19. It was a surprisingly short time when Ziva spoke again.

"I believe that is three questions in a row. Now I get three as well," she said tersely.

"Can you please just answer the question?"

"Pass."

"No, not on this one."

"If you were not going to let me pass on questions, you should not have given me a pass."

"I know, but I'm not letting you walk away from this conversation. We never talked about it. It happened, and we shoved it under the rug and never breached the subject again."

"What do you want me to say? Yes, it was fine?"

"No, I want you to tell me what you really think."

"Fine. I regret what happened in Paris very much." She could feel him deflate as soon as she said the words, but he asked for honesty, and she was going to give it to him.

"You do?"

"Yes. I regret the fact that you had to witness what I considered my greatest failing since I arrived home. I regret the fact that after nearly six months home I had to drag us back into that misery once again, and I regret that the only reason that I felt comfortable enough around you to share a bed was because you had to scare away the nightmares." Her voice softened significantly "I do not regret waking up in your arms, Tony. I regret the circumstances in which it had to happen."

It was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He was glad she didn't regret their close proximity for the duration of the trip, their intimacy. They had spent two nights in the hotel together, the first Ziva suffered from a terrible nightmare, one that left her in a cold sweat and shaking like a leaf. Tony rushed into the room, enveloping her in a hug and laying down with her without a word. Granted there was some resistance on Ziva's part, but once she realized his intentions were genuine he held her until her tears and shivers finally ceased. The next day was spent sightseeing and cautiously flirting, getting back to who they were before the summer that changed their lives. That night they crawled into bed together and woke with Ziva's head resting on Tony's chest.

"I thought you hated me there for a while when we got back."

"Of course not. I could never hate you after all you have done for me. I was afraid of how easy it was with you. How...safe...I felt. It was the first time I had felt that way since I arrived home, and I did not know what to do. I enjoyed the time we spent together, I just wish it wasn't prompted by my weaknesses. I am sorry I pushed you away."

"Not the first time." he said quietly.

"No. It was not."

Tony only took a tense breath in response.

"Is there something you would like to say, Tony?"

"It's more of a question than a comment."

"That is alright."

"No, I've asked a bunch. It's your turn."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll just wait my turn."

"Why did you stop playing piano?" she asked curiously.

He let out a sigh before answering. "I stopped when my mom died. I used to play for her all the time. She was the one who started me playing when I was really little, and she used to play with me. I remember when she was getting sicker and sicker, nothing would make her smile. There was nothing in the world that made her happy, except when I played. I know now that she was depressed, drinking all the time and there was nothing I could really do to make it better, but when I was a kid I just thought that my music could be her medicine. As she got worse and worse I played more and more. But when she died, it just felt useless. There was no reason for me to play any more. So I stopped."

"I am so sorry."

"It's in the past now. Just part of who I am," he paused before moving on to his next question. "Why did you call Gibbs instead of me when you were in trouble?"

She could tell this question had been eating away at him for some time. She had hurt him greatly by surpassing him for protection.

"It had nothing to do with you. No, that is a lie, it had everything to do with you, just not you as our team leader. I have a lot of enemies, Tony. When they come to find me not one of them wants to talk. I did not know what their intentions were, nor did I know who might be after me. I did know, however that you could have lost your job by just communicating with me, let alone conspiring. I could not let you do that."

"Is that the same reason we stopped seeing each other when Gibbs got back? You didn't want to put me at risk?"

She was unsurprised at his question. She had ended their social relationship very abruptly when Gibbs came back to NCIS.

"Almost. My father was having me watched. If there is one person he did not want me seeing, it was you. My father is a powerful man, he could have had you injured or recalled me back to Israel at any time. I did not want to risk never seeing you again. And I thought if we stopped seeing each other outside of work, it would stop us from developing feelings for one another," her voice quieted greatly, "I did not know how much I already cared for you until you were seeing Jeanne."

Jeanne was another part of their lives that Tony would be comfortable never discussing again. He breathed out "yeah." in return. They allowed the subject to drop, the atmosphere in the elevator oppressively heavy.

Ziva tried to move her position in the silence, adjusting her head and neck. She groaned in pain.

"Are you alright?" Tony asked.

"This position is not the best for my neck." she replied, groaning once again.

"Here." he said "Try to keep your head up for just a little bit." He adjusted himself so he was sitting with his back to against the wall of the elevator, legs stretched out in front of him. He placed Ziva's head in his lap, head facing his feet.

"How is that?" he asked gently.

"Better now that I have a bit of cushion."

"Good. I'm glad." They settled into comfortable silence, their breathing finally steady, Tony's fingers stroking Ziva's hair. They were finally calm, and all there was to do was wait.

* * *

Gibbs sat with McGee until the paramedics arrived, which felt like an excruciatingly long time as he just looked at McGee. His face was covered in tiny cuts from the glass, some shards still embedded in his cheeks and neck. He was laying in the middle of the bullpen, and Gibbs couldn't help but wonder if that was where he was actually standing when the explosion occurred, or if he was blown back by the force of the blast. He hoped it was the former. Tim had a much better chance if he was even a few feet further away from the blast.

The paramedics swooped in, quickly back boarding and stabilizing him with a cervical collar. They were barking questions at Gibbs. Name, age, weight, allergies, it was all a blur. Gibbs made sure to answer every question to the best of his ability. The thought occurred to him then that he had no idea who McGee's emergency contact was, or who his medical proxy might be. He had a sinking feeling that not just McGee, but Tony and Ziva as well had named either he or Ducky their medical proxies, and with Ducky still in Florida...he didn't want to think about the responsibility that was about to be thrust upon him.

As the EMT's took McGee away, one of them turned and yelled to Gibbs,

"Sir, are you coming with him?"

"No," he said, "I have more people to find here. There is a woman at Bethesda that should have been treated by now, Abigail Sciuto. She will stay with him."

"Yes, sir." They whisked McGee away. As the door to the stairwell slammed shut behind them, Gibbs said a silent apology, not only for not staying with him, but for letting any of this happen in the first place. With still no time to dwell, he quickly turned away, beginning the search for wherever the hell Tony and Ziva had gotten to.

He moved quickly throughout the area of the building that he thought they would have been clearing before the explosion; restrooms, break room, several conference rooms, interrogation, all empty, all doors opened. Clearly they had done their jobs and gotten nearly everyone out of the building. He was at least thankful for that. There were only three known casualties thus far, but there were still many areas to check, one being the main entrance.

He knew he may be getting himself into a situation as he took the south stairwell down to the main entrance. He found another agent lying in the stairwell, a woman he didn't recognize. As he brought his fingers to her jugular, he couldn't help but wonder how removed he had become from the rest of the agency. There was a time he knew the name of every employee in the building, but now there were more nameless faces than he would care to admit. The pulse he felt beneath his fingers was stronger than he'd expected. He surmised there would be a fair amount of head injuries at Bethesda tonight.

He gave another call to Fornell, reporting her location, and letting the team know he was heading for the main entrance.

As he drew closer to the main doors, the number of injured agents grew exponentially. Some were still unconscious, others stirring and the most coherent were attempting to fix themselves up the best they could before help arrived. Each agent nodded to Gibbs as he went by, but no words were spoken. There were none needed.

As soon as he could see the light of the day shining through the glass doors, he knew where most of the casualties would lie. Shrapnel, glass and debris lay all over the ground, and even more was embedded into a number of people. Five in all. Two security guards, two agents and another man he didn't recognize. Was he a witness? A suspect? He pressed his lips together in frustration. Goddamnit wasn't _fair._ He knew life was cruel, but there were some times that fact just came around and punched you in the gut. This was one of the more poignant times.

The radio crackled to life a moment later.

"Base to Gibbs."

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Building has been cleared. We're sending in teams now."

"10-4. Awaitng arrival at main entrance."

"Copy."

As he waited for the search crews, he took a better look around. He noted that there was no sign of Tony and Ziva amongst any of the injured in the hall, nor the dead in the lobby. It felt like a small, silent victory amongst the immense tragedy. It pained him to feel relief when he was surrounded by so much suffering and loss.

The paramedics began flooding in through the main doors not even two minutes later, rushing to remove the conscious and assess those who were less fortunate.

"Don't move any of the bodies," he demanded gruffly, "Our medical examiner wouldn't want any of the bodies moved." The paramedics nodded as they carefully checked for any signs of life. As soon as the scene was under control, Gibbs headed back up to the one place he still knew he could think semi-straight. His desk.

He arrived at his mostly destroyed destination with a heavy heart. He planted himself in the middle of the bullpen, where his team normally stood.

He couldn't think of anywhere else to look. He stood firmly and in desperation called Fornell over the radio.

"Fornell, any sign of DiNozzo and David?"

"Nothing yet." he replied. He knew it was a long shot. It was then as he rolled his eyes at his own stupid hopes, when one of the paramedics tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, I know this is a stupid question, but has anyone checked in there?" he asked, pointing to the elevator.

_The elevator_. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment. _If they got themselves stuck in the damn elevator I will slap them into next week._

"No." he replied.

'I know it sounds strange, but a lot of people take elevators in evacuations. They fall back into their normal routines, but they end up stuck."

"You don't say."

He walked up to the doors quickly and with a small grunt of frustration pounded out three quick, resounding blows.

* * *

"What do you mean something happened?" Jimmy asked, slightly alarmed.

"Before my event, I received a call from Director Vance. Harper Dearing has struck again. He planted a bomb in the Director's car, which due to security protocols was parked directly in front of the NCIS building."

"Oh god. He blew up NCIS?"

"Yes. I do not know the extent of the physical damage."

"Did everyone make it out alright?"

"I am afraid not."

"How many?"

"Thirteen as far as we know."

"Oh my god." Jimmy collapsed into a chair, head in his hands.

"I know this is overwhelming, Mr. Palmer, but I am afraid I am about to ask too much of you."

"What is it?"

"I need you to act as primary medical examiner at the scene until I recuperate."

"I...I'm not sure that I can, doctor."

"Are you questioning your ability as an examiner or your emotional control?"

"Both, I think."

"I assure you, Jimmy, you should concern yourself with neither. I have worked with you for nearly ten years, and I am certain you will conduct yourself admirably."

"Thank you, Dr. Mallard."

"There are no thanks needed. I speak only the truth."

"I'm assuming I have to leave soon."

"Tonight would be preferable."

Jimmy nodded. "I'll have to tell Breena."

"How is your blushing bride?"

"Very concerned about you, but she's with her family. They were going to stay a little longer before going back to DC, but now I'm not sure. Should I have her come home with me so she'll be close and I can keep her safe, or would she be safer if she stayed here...?"

"I would suggest discussing your concerns with her before making a decision."

"I always do," he said with a small smile.

"I do believe you two will be just fine, despite the somewhat unconventional beginning to your marriage."

"Thanks. I do too. Are you sure you don't need me to stay here with you?"

"Yes, I am sure. You have much more pressing matters to attend to now."

"I'll see what I can do about getting you transported back to DC as soon as possible. I'm sure Agent Gibbs wouldn't want you down here all by yourself."

"That will be unnecessary. I will make arrangements for myself."

Jimmy nodded. "I'm glad you're okay," he said, reaching out for Ducky's hand.

"As am I, dear boy." Jimmy gave Ducky one last smile before leaving him alone once again.

Ducky dropped his head back onto his pillows, silently praying that everything would be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So you guys remember that time that I was like 'No way will this chapter take as long as the last one!' Turns out I lied. Sorry about that. Thank you to everyone reading and everyone reviewing. I appreciate it very much. I hope you enjoy the next chapter! **

* * *

They had fallen into silence once again, not able to talk about anything but their impending fate. Ziva was trying in vain to ignore the constant pain radiating from her leg. Though she was fairly certain the bleeding had stopped, there was nothing stopping the throbbing pain from cropping up every time she took a breath. Tony simply stroked Ziva's hair, running his hands through it over and over, trying not to let on how much he just wanted to pass out.

"We have to stop ignoring what is inevitable" Ziva said breaking the silence. "We...I may die today."

"No, that's not going to happen" He said adamantly.

"It very well may. No one knows we are in here, Tony. No one saw us. Even if they did, chances are they are in a similar situation. No one is coming for us."

"They'll find us, Ziva."

"You do not know that. They could be injured worse than we are. They could be trapped. There may be another bomb in the building. We are stuck here."

"You can't be thinking like that," He said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "What happened? We were doing so well before."

"I have just realized that I really do not have anything waiting for me if we get out of this."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? I have no husband, no children...nothing," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Is that something you want? Husband and rugrats running around?"

"I think so, yes. I did not think it was a possibility before. But then when I was with Ray and it was still good...I thought maybe for a moment...I mean I do not know if I can even have...children. But I would still like to try."

It hurt Tony's heart to hear her doubt herself. It was like a weight crushing his chest. It would be so easy to confess now. To just tell her everything on his mind. He pushed the urge back.

"You can have that, you know. You'll find someone when you get out of here. And until then, and after too, you still have me, and the team"

"I know."

'Do you, really?"

"Yes. You have always been there for me, Tony. Even when I did not want you to be, you always take care of me."

"I'll always be here, sweetcheeks."

"Ha," she laughed "I hate that nickname."

"You do not," he teased. "I know you love it. Just like all those little threats about killing me with office supplies, it's part of our dance."

"We have a dance? Have I been doing it this whole time and been unaware?"

"You know what I'm talking about, our thing. Our back and forth. The banter, the wit, the snark. It's all part of what makes us the best partners NCIS has ever seen."

"I am glad you think so highly of us," she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing,

"As long as we are here, circumstances being what they are...I want to tell you something. I always thought that I would die alone. It was the kind of life I led. I did not expect to be as old as I am now, and every year that passes, I cannot believe that I have made it this far. I did not expect to have a partner. Someone to depend on and be there for me. If I die today, Tony, I am glad you are here. If your face is the last thing that I see, I will be happy."

"No one is dying today, but I'm glad that I'm with you too."

"I would not want it to be anyone else. I had gotten used to the idea of being alone, but now that you're here, I can't imagine it being any other way."

"Well let's hope it stays that way, because you're stuck with me forever."

"I can think of worse people to be stuck to."

"I think stuck with was what you were going for, but yeah. Can you imagine being stuck together forever with McGeek?"

"Or Gibbs? I do not like boats quite enough for that." she said, giggling slightly.

As their small giggles faded away, silence fell over them once again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." The honesty in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

"Will you kiss me?" she asked timidly.

"What?" he nearly whispered in disbelief.

"No, that was stupid, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

"No," he interrupted, "that's not what I meant. I should have asked why."

"I just...I guess I was wondering what it would be like. I do not remember our undercover experience very well." She could feel herself blushing, her face and neck growing warm with her blatant lie. She hoped he did not see through her explanation to her true reason, to kiss him as thoroughly as her heart truly desired. She could feel his eyes on her even in the darkness, sizing up her request.

"Well that's going to take some maneuvering. You up for it?"

"Yes, I think so." she said as she braced herself.

He moved her head softly from his lap as he slid down beside her, his back pressed against the wall of the elevator, his face only inches from hers. They moved slowly closer, the anticipation growing with each passing second, before their lips met. The kiss was hesitant, to say the least. Just a gentle brush of lips, warm breath mingling in the space of an inch, both trying to be less affected by the kiss than they actually were. As their hearts began to pound just a little bit faster, Tony leaned in and fully pressed his lips to hers. A sweet, soft kiss. One that spread warmth all the way down to her toes and formed a tightness in her stomach. It was sweeter than she'd imagined, more tender. It made her chest tight to think about how much she loved him, how much she wanted this to be a regular occurrence. He broke away and rested his forehead against hers.

"I really hope we don't die today, Tony."

"Hey, what did I say about the dying? Not happening, and do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Well first of all, If I have anything to say about it, we have plenty more of that to look forward to, and second of all, we're not allowed to die. Boss didn't give us permission."

"That is a good point."

"You're not dying today, sweetheart. I promise."

As she closed her eyes and sighed he thought "Don't let me down this time, Boss."

* * *

It was only seconds later that he heard a loud pounding on the door.

Gibbs pressed his ear to the elevator door the moment he stopped banging on it in the vain hope he would hear the voices of his agents.

"Hello?" he heard muffled through the door. He let his head fall back in relief.

"Dinozzo?"

"Boss! We're in here!"

"Ziva's with you?"

"Yeah. You gotta get us out of here, Boss. She's hurt."

"Either of you have head injuries?"

"Yes. Tony has one." He heard Ziva pipe up.

"Great. Expect your headslap for getting stuck in this damn thing in about six weeks."

"I think all the falling debris was headslap enough for me, boss."

_Always the smartass._ Gibbs thought. "You said Ziva was injured?"

"Yes. One of my legs is pinned under something."

"Can you see what it is?"

"No. The emergency lights were knocked out in the explosion."

"Can you move at all?"

"No. I cannot," she replied.

"Did you try to move the debris?"

"I didn't want to move it."

"There a reason for that, DiNozzo?"

"I was afraid she'd bleed out."

Those words were like a punch to the gut. _I was afraid she'd bleed out_. Which meant the circumstances were even worse than he'd thought. They might not make it through.

"You two just stay put. I'm gonna get someone to open this damn thing up."

"Don't really have any place else to be."

"DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss?"

"Shut up and keep Ziva comfortable."

"I love you too."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. _Same old DiNozzo. _

Gibbs found the radio he'd left on his desk, calling Fornell for the first time since the emergency crews made their way into the building.

"Tobias."

"Gibbs?" Fornell replied as the radio crackled to life.

"We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"Tony and Ziva are trapped in the elevator."

"How the hell did they manage that?"

"I have no idea, but they're in there, and they can't get themselves out. I need to find out how to get some power to the elevator, or get the jaws of life up here."

"I'll see what I can do."

That answer was not exactly what he was looking for. He ran a hand over his face in frustration and clipped the radio to his belt.

"Tony! Ziva!" He called through the elevator door.

"Yes?" He heard Ziva reply.

"We're going to figure out a way to get you out of there. You just have to wait a little longer."

"We're not going anywhere." Tony called. He only sighed in reply.

It was not until some time later that Fornell emerged with a group of firefighters in tow. They were carrying the jaws of life, intent on prying the doors open.

"I thought you were going to try to get the power turned on first," Gibbs said as soon as he saw Fornell.

"We did. They thought it was too dangerous. Could start a fire."

"So now we pry them out."

"That's the plan."

"Let me talk to them first," he said turning to the firefighters.

"Whatever you think you need to do," one replied.

He gave the elevator two sharp blows "Tony! Ziva!"

"Boss?" Tony asked.

"They have to use the jaws of life to get you out of there. So we're going to have you move as far away from the door as you can."

"Don't know if I can do that, Boss. I can't move Ziva. We're in the corner, away from the crack in the door. That's about the best I can do for you."

He looked at the firefighters for any kind of confirmation.

"We'll make do. Crack the door and see what we can do from there," one of the firefighters replied.

"Cover your ears. This will be loud," he called.

Gibbs stepped back and allowed the firefighters to do their work. They cracked the doors open with a crowbar and inserted the spreader. There was a loud screeching noise as it began to spread the doors apart. They paused briefly to insert the spreader into further into the door, so that they had a better chance of both the inner and outer doors being pried open. As soon as the spreader was extended as far as it could go, the firefighters stepped back so Gibbs could take a look.

The elevator had already started moving down when the explosion occurred, more than half of the open door was empty elevator shaft. There was a two and a half foot gap at the bottom of the door that would open into the elevator. Gibbs groaned in frustration as they removed the spreader and repositioned it near the bottom of the door and began the process over again. They stepped away once again to allow Gibbs to get a look inside the elevator.

He sighed in relief to see the bruised but smiling faces of Tony and Ziva.

Abby winced slightly as the nurse tied off the last of her stitches. It was declared that she was in good shape after her encounter with the explosion and subsequent lab fire. Her 'cut' as she had so aptly named it, was stitched, and she had a good session with an oxygen tank to combat some minor smoke inhalation, but all in all she had come out mostly unscathed.

"Thank you." she told the nurse.

"You're welcome." she replied "I'll have someone bring you your discharge paperwork in just a minute."

"Oh no, that's okay. I'm fine. I can go to the nurse's station and get it myself. I have some other people that I need to wait for anyway, so I'll probably be here for a little while."

"Well okay, if you feel that's what you'd like..." she was cut off by her pager.

"Oh, I've got to run. Looks like some more victims are arriving."

"Thank you again."

"No problem, Miss Sciuto. To get to the nurse's station take a right out of your room, walk all the way down the hall and take a left. They can show you to the waiting room from there."

Abby nodded in response as the nurse made a quick exit. She gathered Bert under her arm and headed out of the room. She followed the nurse's instructions, but as she was about to turn down the hall to the nurse's station a gurney and team of doctors came rushing by, the EMT shouting stats along the way.

"Victim is male age 34, suffered blunt force trauma to the back of the head, lacerations on 30 percent of his body. Pulse 105, BP 90 over 70."

_Poor thing._ Abby thought. She looked a bit closer at the victim's face as he rushed by, and her blood ran cold.

"Timmy!" she yelled "Oh my god, Tim."McGee lay on the stretcher, unconscious, IV's already in his arms, oxygen mask over his face. Tears sprung from her eyes as she tried to follow the gurney into the ER, but the nurse that had just left her moments ago broke away from the team and stopped her in the middle of the hallway.

"Miss Sciuto, I need you to go and finish your discharge, and then wait in the waiting room like everyone else."

"He's going to be okay, right? He has to be okay," Abby said through her tears.

"I don't know yet, but once we figure out who his medical contact is, we will have them tell you everything you need to know."

"His medical proxy is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I'm his secondary."

"There are some forms you need to fill out. Medical history, things like that."

"Anything."

"Okay. But that means you still have to go to the nurse's station and then to the waiting room. I'll be out to update you when I can."

Abby just nodded, tears still streaming down her face. The nurse gave her arm a quick squeeze of comfort before taking off in the direction they had just wheeled McGee. She watched the nurse disappear before turning to do what she asked. There would be time for tears later. She had a job to do.

Jimmy tapped his foot impatiently on the airport floor. He couldn't stop fidgeting. There was little he could do about his delayed flight, but the longer he had to wait, the more worried he became. Breena squeezed his hand.

"Jimmy, you need to calm down. I know you're worried. I am too, but taking it out on the floor is getting you nowhere."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just feel so helpless. Doctor Mallard is staying here and who knows how my friends fared in the explosion. I just want to know that everyone is okay."

"And you will in just a few hours. No one will keep you from them when you get home. And I'll be there to help you and your family every step of the way."

"Do you think I can do this? Be the new Medical Examiner? Not just the assistant, or the autopsy gremlin?"

"Of course I do. This is going to sound corny, but you can do anything you set your mind to. I know you can. You love your work, and I know without a doubt you will be able to step up and fill Dr. Mallard's shoes."

Jimmy only nodded solemnly.

"But that's not what you're really worried about, is it?"

"I just want them all to be alright."

"They will be."

"We don't know that."

"No, but from what I've heard about them, they are an incredible team. They have been through hell and high water together, and they have made it out okay. We can't think this time will turn out any differently. They're okay."

"I don't know what I'd do without you," he said.

"Me neither," she replied. She leaned up to him for a quick kiss before resting her head on his shoulder and settling in for the long wait to come.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Alright, I have no excuses for this taking so long. If you all are still with me, I am eternally grateful. Thanks for not giving up on me. :)

* * *

Gibbs finally laid eyes on his two agents and for half a second, the entire world was set right again. They were alive. As he took a closer look though, his shining moment of confidence was squashed by the mere appearance of his agents. Ziva was pale and sweaty, Tony was favoring his left wrist, and Ziva's leg was apparently being crushed by what looked like a support beam from the elevator. There was a pool of blood on the floor around her lower half. Whether or not the pool was still growing was a question he would not vocalize, but it struck deeper fear in him than he was willing to admit.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see you, Boss. You look good."

"Can't say the same, DiNozzo. You look like hell."

"Well we were stuck in an elevator for several hours, but no big deal. I'm sure you'd look fantastic."

"Don't give me more reasons to slap you."

"I wouldn't dare."

"How much longer until we can get out of here?" Ziva asked.

"I'll let Nelson fill you in on that."

"Nelson?"

"The firefighter responsible for getting you the hell out of there."

They nodded. Gibbs stepped away and was replaced by another man, Nelson, they inferred.

"Alright, we've been assessing the elevator, and we don't believe it's stable enough to put another person in there with you. DiNozzo, you're going to have to be the one to lift that thing off of her."

"What?"

"We can't risk putting any more weight in there. The integrity is compromised."

"Thanks for reminding me. It's very reassuring that I could fall to my death at any moment."

"Tony, shut up. The only way we will fall to our deaths is if you do not do as you are asked." Ziva snapped.

"Getting testy there, ninja."

"Have you ever been trapped in an elevator with yourself for four hours? You would be testy too."

"Both of ya, shut up." Gibbs said, stepping forward. "DiNozzo is going to have to make a tourniquet on your leg, Ziver."

"I suggested that hours ago," she said, exasperated.

"Well now there's much less of a chance that it will cause you to lose your leg," Nelson interjected.

"Told you."

"DiNozzo!"

"Right, sorry. What am I going to use to tie it off?" he asked, his focus coming back around.

Nelson handed Tony a long piece of stretchy rubber tubing.

"Alright, I need you to tie off just above the injury site."

Tony looked down at Ziva with an unsure but determined gaze. He worked quickly, threading the tube underneath her thigh, tying it off just above her knee.

"Okay, now what?"

"Now comes the hard part. You have to lift that beam off of her leg and lift her up to us."

"I was afraid of that."

"Just do it, Tony. I cannot stand to be in this box any longer."

The panic in her voice could have been mistaken as anger by anyone else, but not by him. Her eyes were growing glassy, and she was starting to shake ever so slightly. He nodded and she back at him before she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for what she was certain would be an immensely painful experience.

He grabbed the metal beam in his good hand, threading his broken one underneath it and lifted it straight up and out of Ziva's leg as she groaned in pain. He set it aside and turned back to Ziva, whose eyes were fighting to stay open as she battled with unconsciousness

Gibbs shouted into the elevator. "DiNozzo, lift her up to me!"

Tony wasted no time picking his partner up bridal style, grimacing at the pain in his wrist. He lifted Ziva's now unconscious body up to a waiting Gibbs who quickly pulled her out and transferred her to a waiting gurney.

Nelson stepped in to help Tony, grabbing his good arm and helping to pull him out of the box they had called prison for the past several hours.

He was immediately greeted by two EMT's who were trying their best to assess his condition. It was clear, however that he was much more interested in learning about Ziva's condition than his own.

The paramedics were quick to whisk her away, shouting things about "BP dropping!" and "Surgery now!" but there was only so much he could hear with his own medics attempting to ask him questions.

As they rushed to get her out of the building, Gibbs was right behind them.

"Boss!" Tony shouted desperately.

"Tony, get yourself checked out, I'm going with Ziva. I'll give you a sitrep when I can."

"No, I want to go with her."

"You've got your own laundry list of injuries to deal with. You can't help her until you've been seen and discharged, you got me?"

Frustrated but conceding he ground out, "Yes, Boss."

Gibbs nodded sharply in response and rushed out after Ziva.

* * *

Tony watched them go, allowing the EMT's to poke and prod him all they wanted, knowing that he wouldn't be far behind them.

Nurse Rhonda had been watching Abby since the moment she stepped into the waiting room. With her pigtails, plaid pants, platform boots and gothic-style t shirt, she was hard to miss, but that wasn't the reason the veteran nurse was drawn to the young woman. No, it was much more than her superficial appearance. Abby was pacing. She had been since she entered the room, and though pacing for short amounts of time was not uncommon, she had not stopped for two hours. Even more disconcerting was that she seemed to be wavering very suddenly between incredibly emotional and completely despondent. She had tears running down her cheeks one moment and the next there was nothing but emptiness behind her eyes.

She told the other nurse on duty she was taking a break, quietly acknowledged with a small nod and wave before she approached Abby with a bottle of water.

"I think you should sit down," Rhonda said. Abby simply continued to pace. Rhonda gently reached over, placing her hand on Abby's arm as she passed. She startled, looking at Rhonda with wide eyes as she came back to reality.

"What?" she asked.

"I said, I think you should sit down."

"How long have I been up?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but you've been pacing in here for two hours."

"Oh, I didn't notice."

"I figured. Please sit. You must be exhausted."

"I think I'd rather stand. If I'm pacing then I can't think about how long it's been since I saw them wheel Timmy past me into surgery. If I sit I'll fall apart."

"You don't seem to be holding it together very well now."

"Trust me, if you knew what my normal panic mode looks like, you'd think this was toned down."

"Miss.."

"Abby. My name is Abby."

"Abby, you're not doing yourself any good, and you're definitely not doing the person you're waiting for any good." Abby looked down at the nurse sadly. "When your friend comes out of surgery he's going to need you to be there for him, to be strong for him. You can't do that if you pace yourself into exhaustion."

"You're right. I know you're right, but If I sit, I might fall asleep, and if I fall asleep I won't be awake when Gibbs finds Tony and Ziva or when Timmy wakes up or when Ducky finally calls me back."

"Well I can't do anything about your phone call, but if you fall asleep and any of your friends arrive or come out of surgery, I will wake you up, okay?"

"Promise?" she asked, squeezing Bert a little tighter.

"Promise. Now please, Abby. Sit down, fall asleep if you need to. I'll be right over there at the nurse's station."

Abby slowly lowered herself into a hospital chair. "Thank you." she whispered, placing Bert behind her head as a pillow.

Nurse Rhonda gave Abby a reassuring smile and walked back to her spot at the nurse's station. As Abby leaned back and gave her legs a break, she took her first truly deep breath of the day. There was someone watching over them. It would be okay.

* * *

Everything was fuzzy, and he wasn't quite sure why. Like there were a hundred cotton balls in his head and his hands and everywhere else. Up until this point, though he was pretty sure he was unconscious, all his thoughts and feelings had been clear. Now everything was fuzzy, and there was a big ball of heat spreading through his stomach,like a flame licking at his insides, almost burning, but not quite. Just hot. And fuzzy. Nothing was making any sense. All his thoughts were getting fuzzier and fuzzier until there was nothing. Nothing at all.

Though it was not something he often discussed, Doctor Mallard was quite often the victim of insomnia. Though he would argue that a good night's rest is the only way that he can so accurately perform his job and manage to recall the many anecdotes that pepper his autopsies, it is those very stories, those memories that keep him lying awake each night.

* * *

Ducky lay awake in his hospital bed and though it was not night, only mid-afternoon, his doctors insisted that he take a nap and rest. This task, though quite easy for some, was proving to be much more difficult than it sounded. As usual it was his overactive mind keeping his feeble being awake. He was plagued by memories of his team, his family. For all he knew, they could all be dead. He seriously doubted that any of them would give up without a fight, but there was an unsettling feeling that had taken root in his chest he could not seem to shake. The more he thought about Abby's hugs, Tony's wit, Ziva's warmth, Tim's rare but contagious laughter and Gibbs' even rarer smile, the more restless he became.

He took as deep a breath as his lungs would allow, and told himself that they would be fine. They would call him as soon as they were out of the building and safe. They had been through worse and come out the other side. They would be fine.

He needed to sleep, he told himself. Doctor's orders.

* * *

Jimmy had never been more nervous in his life. The only day that he thought may have been a contender was the first day that he became the Medical Assistant at NCIS. That day he was filling the place of Gerald, the much beloved assistant, injured by Ari Haswari. He knew on that day he had some big shoes to fill. Today, and under circumstances just as upsetting, he was filling the place of the even more beloved Doctor Mallard, Medical Examiner at NCIS. These shoes were possibly the largest he could ever attempt to fill. Those of his mentor, his friend, and the most trusted ally of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. There was no doubt that this day would be one of the most challenging he'd ever experienced.

He approached the NCIS building, taking in the smoke, rubble and chaos that remained, spotting Leon Vance through the chaos. He was tired, dirty, flustered. The weight of the world was very clearly sitting on his shoulders. He spotted Jimmy in the crowd and motioned to walk towards him. Jimmy was taken aback by the look in the Director's eyes; determined, but haunted. It was worse than he thought.


	8. Chapter 8

As Ziva was rushed into surgery the second they burst through the emergency receiving doors, Gibbs was just as promptly shuffled out into the waiting room under much protest.

As he entered the waiting room, he spotted Abby asleep in one of the chairs. Her head was cushioned by Bert, who was letting out a farting noise when she changed positions every so often. One corner of his mouth turned up into a small smile. At least one of them was safe and sound. He thought about waking her for a moment, but decided to let her sleep for a while longer. He'd wake her in a little while. If she was asleep, she desperately needed it.

Gibbs approached the nurse's station as calmly as possible under the circumstances. Nurse Rhonda looked up from her computer just in time to see him approach.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I was hoping to get the status of a patient, Timothy McGee."

"Huh, Do you know Abby?" She asked, motioning towards sleeping Abby. "She is very concerned about Timothy."

"Yep, sure do. We work together at NCIS."

"I can't release any information to non-family members."

"I'm his medical proxy, Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

She glanced at his file on the computer, nodding in confirmation.

"There haven't been any updates as of yet. I can tell you that his is in the middle of extensive surgery, but I haven't had a doctor update us since he was admitted."

"Any idea what for?"

"No. He was rushed though as a triage, but if he's in the OR, there may have been some more extensive issues."

Gibbs ran a hand down his face in frustration.

"I know my opinion isn't the most important to you right now, but in my experience, sometimes no updates is a good thing. It means everything is going to plan."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'll let you know when I have any information, but honestly if he comes out of surgery, you'll know before I do."

He only nodded in response.

"Why don't you tell Abby you're here. I promised her I'd wake her up when the rest of your people arrived."

"Thanks for looking after her."

'It's not a problem. She was a wreck when she got here. I just got her to calm down."

"If you only knew what a feat that was," he said as he turned to walk away.

Gibbs plopped himself down next to Abby in a hard hospital chair. She looked slightly uncomfortable in her position, her neck craned back and resting on Bert. He hoped she hadn't hurt her injury leaning like that. He placed his hand on her forearm, squeezing gently, and said her name softly in her ear to rouse her awake. With no response from Abby, he shook her gently.

"Abbs, wake up."

"Gibbs?" she asked drowsily.

"Uh huh."

"GIBBS!" she exclaimed as she came into consciousness. She sat up and threw her arms around him. "You found them?! Where are they? Are they okay?"

"Tony's fine"

"What about Ziva?"

"She was rushed into surgery. They were trapped in the elevator, and one of the support beams was crushing her leg. She lost a lot of blood."

"Oh my god. It's even worse than I thought. Ziva and McGee are in surgery...and you said Tony's fine, where is he?"

"He's just getting checked out. He's got a concussion, and his wrist was broken by the look of it. They'll probably want to check his lungs, too."

"Why would they need to check his lungs?"

"All the crap in the air is affecting his breathing. Could give him pneumonia."

'Oh my god," Abby said, tearing up.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright. They're fighters. Every last one of them. They're gonna be alright."

Suddenly a doctor appeared, scrub cap still perched upon his head. Gibbs and Abby stood immediately, hoping for news about Tim or Ziva.

"Family of Timothy McGee?"

"That's us," Abby said.

He looked at them, face etched with skepticism, but continued.

"I'm Dr. Kingsley, I will be in charge of Timothy's treatment. Timothy is out of surgery. We removed several shards of glass from his skin and stitched him accordingly. Most of his injuries were superficial, but we did have some larger problems to face."

"Like what?" Abby asked.

"There was a large piece of glass that perforated his spleen. We tried to repair it, but the damage was extensive, so we removed it. We also discovered he had a subdural hematoma in his frontal lobe. We were forced to drill a hole in his skull to release the excess pressure that had built up in his brain. We caught it early, but we will be monitoring his condition for complications. There is a possibility that he will require additional surgery."

Abby had tears silently streaming down her face, overwhelmed with the true nature of McGee's condition. She clutched Gibbs' good arm in her hands almost painfully tight.

"When can we see him?" She asked through her tears.

"We're moving him to recovery now. He will be in the intensive care unit, so we'll only be able to admit one visitor at a time."

Abby turned to Gibbs quickly, silently asking permission to see McGee first.

"Go," Gibbs said "I'll track down DiNozzo."

"Okay," she said, nodding.

"Hey." he said, catching her arm before she left. "Have you called Sarah yet?"

"No."

"Make sure you do. She'll want to see him."

"Okay," she said, turning to follow Dr. Kingsley.

"If you'll just follow me."

As the clomp of Abby's boots faded into the distance, Gibbs walked back to the Nurse's Station and Nurse Rhonda.

"Can you find me the location of a recently admitted patient?" he asked.

"I can try. Who are you looking for?"

"Anthony DiNozzo."

* * *

Tony sat impatiently as he waited to be taken to x-ray. He was fidgeting, agitated. It had been over an hour since he had left the navy yard. Over an hour since he'd seen Ziva, and even longer since he'd seen Abby and McGee. His nurse, Tracy, eyed him half amused, half irritated.

"I can't clear up x-ray any more quickly whether you fidget or not."

"And logically I know that, but there has been absolutely nothing logical about this day."

'I know, but you're not doing yourself any favors moving all about," she said with the slightest southern drawl.

"Well what do you suppose I do then? Sit here and twiddle my thumbs? Oh wait! I can't! Broken wrist!"

Tracy shot him an agitated glare. "I'll go check on X-ray."

"You do that."

As she left, Gibbs entered swiftly behind her.

"You irritating nurses already, DiNozzo?"

"How's Ziva?" he asked, completely ignoring Gibbs' question.

"In surgery."

"But how is she?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. " I haven't gotten an update since we got here."

Tony sighed exasperatedly. "Where's Abbs and McGee?"

"McGee just got out of surgery. Abby's with him."

"Surgery? For what?"

"Piece of glass pierced his spleen, they took it out. And he had a blood clot in his brain, they fixed that, too. At least for now."

"Holy shit, and he's okay?"

"He's not awake yet. We'll know in a few hours when he wakes up."

"How's Abby holding up?"

"Better than I expected."

"At least that's something."

"Yup," Gibbs said shortly.

They sat in silence while Tony pondered how serious their situation truly was.

"What are we going to do, Boss?"

"About what?"

"About Dearing! How do we expect to catch this guy in casts and slings?"

"We don't. Not now. We recover first, then we worry about Dearing."

"What if he attacks in the meantime?"

"He won't."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"He's looking for a fair fight. This is about us now. He'll want us to retaliate. He won't attack again until we do."

"I didn't realize blowing up the Navy Yard counted as fair."

"To him, it does."

"You sure you're not a braingamer?"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure."

Nurse Tracy popped her head back in.

"Time to go to X-Ray." she directed her attention to Gibbs, "You can wait here if you'd like, I'm bringing him back here when I'm done."

Gbbs nodded, "I'll be here," as the nurse ushered Tony away.


End file.
